I know this is a blog that’s supposed to cross borders, and sometimes that means we should be a bit more sensitive to the various cultures that may or may not be reading this. But one of my favorite cupcake recipes has a name that…well, it’s not very sensitive. It’s based off a drink. This drink involves dropping a shot glass of Baileys & Jameson’s into a pint glass of Guinness. Because of the explosive look and the iconic Irish drinks, it’s called an Irish Car Bomb. Not a drink I would order in, say, Dublin, but tasty, and the basis for today’s cupcake recipe. But you have my permission to just think of them as Irish cupcakes: Chocolate Guinness cupcake with Jameson’s caramel sauce filling and Bailey’s buttercream frosting.

This might be obvious advice, but read the whole recipe first, to make sure you have the appropriate equipment, and to determine some of the order of operations.

Makes 24 cupcakes

Guiness Cupcakes

* 1 cup Guinness

* 1 stick, plus 1 tb, unsalted butter

* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

* 2 cups dark brown sugar

* 3/4 cup sour cream

* 2 eggs

* 1 tb vanilla extract

* 2 cups flour

* 2 1/2 tsp baking soda

Whiskey Caramel Sauce

* 1 1/2 cups sugar

* 2/3 cup water

* 1/4 cup light butter

* 2 ounces 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel) (about 1/4 cup)

* 1/4 cup Irish whiskey

* 1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk

Irish Cream Frosting

* 2 sticks butter, room temperature

* 4-6 c powdered sugar

* Bailey’s Irish cream OR try our Homemade Irish Cream to taste (at least 4 tblsp)

When you make the caramel sauce in the process depends on what you want the filling to be like. If you want it to kind of soak into the cake, make it while the cupcakes are baking (that’s what I did, it was good). But if you want it to be like full on caramel sauce in the center, make it well in advance and let it cool all the way (possibly a task for the night before)

Preheat oven to 350; butter a muffin tin or use muffin liners. Combine the Guinness and the butter, chopped into 1-inch chunks, in a large sauce pan, and heat to melt the butter. Remove from heat, and whisk in the cocoa and sugar. In a bowl, whisk the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla, then add to the beer mixture. Sift together the flour and baking soda, and fold into the batter. Pour into muffin molds and bake for 25 minutes, or until inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, remove from muffin tin, and cool completely on a rack.

Combine sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Cook an additional 15 minutes or until golden (do not stir). Remove from heat. Carefully add butter and cream cheese, stirring constantly with a whisk (mixture will be hot and bubble vigorously). Cool slightly, and stir in whiskey and milk. The easiest way to add the caramel is with a squeeze bottle, which you can get at a craft store, (like a generic ketchup bottle with the pointy spout). Put the caramel in the squeeze bottle, and squeeze it into the middle of the cupcake. Another method, if you don’t have a squeeze bottle, is to just cut a cone out of the middle of the cupcake, and pour in the caramel. Then put the top back on.

For the frosting, cut the butter into small chunks and beat it with a mixer. Slowly add the sugar, a cup at a time, alternating with a splash of Irish Cream. Once you’ve added 4 cups of sugar, just go from there with the Irish cream until it tastes how you want, add more sugar if you want. Then pipe or spread it on the caramel-filled cupcakes. Add sprinkles, chocolate swirlies, or whatever decorations you feel most appropriate!